Birla wanted govt to have test centres for engineering and medical admissions in Kota where thousands of students come regularly for coaching.

Vinayak Raut pleaded for appropriate relief to the victims of landslide and preventive measures to avert recurrence of such devastation in the Western Ghats. (Source: AP)

Several issues ranging from adequate relief to landslide victims in Pune district to efforts for release of an Indian Christian priest abducted in Afghanistan and creation of a separate Poorvanchal state were raised in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

Vinayak Raut (Shiv Sena) pleaded for appropriate relief to the victims of the landslide and preventive measures to avert recurrence of such devastation in the Western Ghats.

AIADMK member P R Senthilnathan wanted the government to take steps to ensure early return of an Indian Jesuit priest working in western Herat province of Afghanistan, who was abducted in May. BJP member Chhedi Paswan demanded creation of separate state of Poorvanchal, consisting of some districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and “dominated” by Bhojpuri-speaking people.

Boora Narsaiah Goud (TRS) emphasised the need to give more teeth to the National Commission for Backward Classes by giving it constitutional status to ensure fair deal to the backwards who, he said, constituted more than half the population of the country. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Cong) sought an action plan to take care of the abandoned railway quarters and properties, which he alleged have become dens of all kinds of criminal activities.

BJP member Nalin Kumar Kateel asked the government to “drop the idea” of going ahead with three super thermal power plants in Dakshin Kannada, saying agitations were going on against the projects which would deplete water reserves and affect farming in large tracts of fertile land. His party colleague Om Birla wanted government to have test centres for engineering and medical admissions in Kota where thousands of students come regularly for coaching.